A Guide to Architectural Styles Featuring Birmingham Homes

Quick. How many house styles can you name in
the Birmingham area?

For the best clue - not to mention intricate pencil drawings
of each type -- turn to A Guide to Architectural Styles featuring
Birmingham Homes (paper $19.95, cloth $29.95).
The guide contains descriptive narrative on each of
the 45 important house types in the Magic City, written by
Marjorie White, director of the Birmingham Historical Society.
The drawings, skillfully created by Cheryl Morgan, professor
of architecture at Auburn University, provide a concrete look
at the nuances of such styles as Bungalow, Cottage, Ranch,
Split-Level, Classical Revival, Shotgun, Tudor, Prairie and
Craftsman.

"When Birmingham was founded in 1871, cottages and the Queen
Anne style were most prevalent as people moved from rural
areas to the emerging city," explains White, who oversaw a
street-by-street survey of styles, conducted by college interns.
A crew of architectural historians reviewed the field data,
defined the major styles, and recommended the best local examples
for the volume.